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Functional and Non-functional Requirements in Software Architecture Design
How to Understand and Differentiate Between Them
When it comes to software architecture designing, architects must consider a lot of factors to ensure the success of a project. One key is understanding and defining the requirements of the software system.
These requirements can be put into two categories: functional and non-functional requirements. While both are very important to a software’s overall design, they differ in their scope and purpose. Here I’ll try to explain the distinctions between functional and non-functional requirements and highlighting their significance in software architecture designing.
Functional Requirements
Functional requirements define the functionalities and features that a system must have to meet the overall goal. They outline the operations and behavior of the system from a functional perspective. These requirements are typically expressed as user stories, use cases, or detailed specifications.
Functional requirements answer the question: “What should the software do?”. They encompass the desired functionalities that users expect from the software.
